The Souris Wildlife Branch has a rich history of annually hosting the family oriented Family Fishing Day on various Sundays from late May until Fathers Day. It is quite common to have 100 people at this event. Jeannie Jenkins has operated fly-fishing classes as an extra –curricular activity at Rollo Bay School with the Souris Branch assisting financially with the purchase of equipment.

Reality tells us these types of activities help to increase the interest but do not necessarily transform into increased anglers at a later level. The squeals of delight on Family Fishing Days indicate that youngsters do get a great thrill out of it.

However, it appears that parents either won't pay the fee for the license (for themselves) to take their kids fishing or they just don't appreciate this activity.

We must remember that today's kids have a lot of choices verses our era - organized sports, video games, etc.

suggestion:
A special licence if you have a kid (fishing with full equipment) with you. The license could be half price.

suggestion:
Make many types of licenses available to the public including a one-day pass or weekend pass etc. at various costs.

Access

This does not appear to be a problem as of yet in our area, but it obviously will soon become one. Private landowners own approximately 90% of our land and the rates of "people from away" are increasing at rates never seen before. It is estimated that the population of annual cottage owners triple our population (Eastern Kings) in the summer months. One can only speculate that, with more foreign ownership, our access is going to diminish.

suggestion:
That government acquire or secure long-term access, at least for property suitable for boat launches on our major waterways.

suggestion:
That riparian zones of waterways are key corridors of animal life. These areas are so valuable they should assessed high for tax purposes and then these landowners get a reimbursement on property taxes in return for permission to trespass for fishers, trappers, enhancement workers etc.

Habitat Restoration & Land Use

The Souris & Area Wildlife Branch has a rich history in stream enhancement in the Eastern Kings Area and has become a model for other watersheds to follow. The Souris Branch attempts each and every year, with its limited resources, to service approximately 20 watersheds. Unfortunately, when we compete for funding through the PEI Watershed Management Fund administered by the Dept. of Environment, Energy and Forestry and the Wildlife Conservation Fund (WCF), we are treated as one large watershed. It appears smaller watersheds with short-term organized groups do equally as well financially as we do.

It is our experience that the major obstacle to fish reproduction (salmonoids) in our area is the beaver. All our watersheds are blessed with abundant amounts of beaver dams, some abandoned and some not. These dams block passage to fish spawning habitat, causing a build up of silt in streambeds and ruining riparian zones.

The second major obstacle to fish reproduction in our area is siltation. This silt can come from various sources including: agricultural land, non-paved highways, wood access roads, subdivisions, etc.

In recent years we have seen major attempts by agricultural producers, especially potato growers. These growers have initiated soil erosion control structures, increased buffers, grassed headlands, and used new technology in our area. The Souris Watershed is participating in the PEI Ecological Goods & Services Pilot Project, which gives its producers financial incentives to increase environmental friendly farming practices.

The Dept. of Transportation and Public Works is a major contributor to silt in streams. One can't blame the supervisors at the grass roots level because they are hampered by insufficient funds for this type of problem.

The All Terrain Vehicle (ATV) has also become a problem as continuously used pathways become bare and well-trodden tracks become pathways for water laden with silt to run downhill to our waterways.

Fisheries and Oceans policies, which are developed outside PEI, have become a major obstacle to local enhancement groups that would like to create sediment pools. The perspective of Fisheries and Oceans on how these should be created is not in direct correlation to the dollars we receive to do the work.

The DEEF must revaluate their liability policies and offer chain saw safety courses free to all watershed groups. Sending kids to do stream enhancement with a 20 inch bow saw, a set of waders, and a ball of string is absolutely ridiculous and a total waste of money.

It is our observation that if, within a watershed, you remove your major blockages, improve your riparian zone, install some silt traps and brushmat, and do regular maintenance, that watershed will see a tremendous improvement of fish productivity within five years.

suggestion:
DEEF immediately approve beaver management plans that have been approved and promoted by each local watershed.

suggestion:
DEEF grant beaver nuisance permits to watershed co-ordinators at their approval of funds from PEI WMF.

suggestion:
That the Dept. of Ag. ,with input from producers, introduce successful sections PEI EG&S Pilot Project Across PEI.

suggestion:
DEEF Work closely with Dept. of Transportation & Public Works to ensure and enforce better management of silt deposited into streams by this Dept.

suggestion:
The ATV Problem has been discussed for years (especially about safety). The appropriate Departments must deal with this issue regarding registration, enforcement, etc. immediately.

suggestion:
The DEEF must convince Fisheries and Oceans that the traditional sediment pools created in the 1980's were a "good thing". DEEF must convince DFO that it makes logical mathematical and economic sense that one should give up a few square metres of habitat to save hectares of habitat. DEEF must also convince them that policies not created on PEI sometimes just don't work here.

suggestion:
DEEF immediately re-evaluate their "Young Environeers" program and involve organizations that have used them before.

suggestion:
Major criteria for funding, from governments and non-profit organizations to watersheds for watershed planning, stream enhancement, etc. be the area (hectares ) that they enhance.

Fish Stocking

Fish stocking is a very important activity to carry out. We had a fish kill in 2007 that will probably have a significant impact upon the Dunk River. It only seems reasonable that such an event warrants such a system be assisted with fish stocking.

Fish stocking is also important for those "fishing events" promoted by local organizations in promoting angling as a sport.

Fish stocking has supplied hours of fun in winter fishing in Glennfinnan and O'Keefe Lakes.

We believe that if we could get the resources to improve the stream habitat in our area, we would have a very healthy trout and salmon population. If there were some ponds that are easily accessible for seniors and those with limited mobility then it would be appropriate to stock them in our area. (MacVane's Dam, etc.)

We also feel the Mooney's Pond semi- natural rearing model was a good one and would like to see something like that re- introduced.

The simple dumping of fish into a pond for long term productivity is useless unless, they have the necessary habitat for fish reproduction that pond.

suggestion:
We need a facility like the Cardigan Fish Hatchery to operate annually on PEI, which would be subsidized by Provincial and Federal dollars.

Management & Angling Regulations

We believe that the success of sports fishing should be based not only on the number of fish caught but also on the quality of the fishing experience itself. We honestly believe that the Eastern PEI is not over fished. We realize certain rivers do get hit hard at various times of the year (when a run is on in a particular river, the word is out and people congregate there). In most cases you can go to your favourite pond from June – Sept and have very little competition. Most of our pristine rivers upstream are very difficult to fish with a fly because of cover.

Our steelhead run in Souris River gets hit hard at the Souris Causeway in the summer months. We have no data to indicate what sort of numbers we have in this system. In fact, fishermen argue whether the spawn is in Fall or Spring. If we had data to support Spring spawning, then we should make the start date of that river later.

If 64% of fishermen believe that the creel limit should remain the 10 per /day, I would suggest that they don't catch very big fish. If fisherman were catching fish 12 inches and above, I can't see why their appetite would demand 10 such fish.

A specific fishing regulation for a specific river does make sense, and the late Dave Bigger proved that with his creel surveys in West Prince.

We do have natural runs of Salmon in the North Lake, Cross River, Naufrage, Priest Pond, and Cow River systems. They are traditionally a late run (OCT). We would like to see these stocks monitored and the best method to do this is to issue a restricted salmon license to these systems.

suggestion:
Fish Trap be installed in the Gowan Brae area and data be collected by DEEF to give fish species, numbers, sex, size, and determine if the steelhead run spawns in Spring or Fall.

suggestion:
That a salmon license be issued for these systems, with one tag available and they must be fished with a fly and barbless hook. Catch and release for brook trout (fly and barbless) in these systems would also receive an extended season similar to Morell.

suggestion:
If the data supplied on Souris River warrants a reasonable population of Steelheads then an extended season (fly and barbless) be issued for that river. If the data supplied indicates that these steelheads are spring spawners, then the season should be delayed for opening in Souris River

Future Threats:

Presently there are Green Crab, Cormorant, and Seal problems in our river systems.

There appears to be a correlation to the disappearance of eel grass and the presence of Green Crab. It is my understanding that these animals are insatiable feeders, but we have little understanding of their impact of the food chain and salmonoids.

We have, in recent years, seen the population explosion of Cormorants and their migration from their colonies to the estuaries of river systems and ponds. They eat fish and lots of them. We had some of our members participate in a cull last fall, but we were late getting organized and the numbers taken will have little impact on the general numbers.

In recent years we have seen the seal population increase and move up our river systems. We now have a very sizeable herd of Grey Seals on Rollo Bay Flats (can be seen by the naked eye from #2 Highway) This area was once famous for "the Strawberry Run" of Brook Trout but nobody dares to fish it now. We also have harbour seals up Fortune, Souris, North Lake and Naufrage Rivers.

We also realize the effects of Climate Change and fully understand why it will be of the utmost importance to keep all our springs free of silt and debris so this cool water can assist our streams with temperatures that warrant fish productivity.

suggestion:
DEEF initiate another Cormorant cull next fall similar to last year.

suggestion:
DEEF Initiate a seal cull in our estuaries.

suggestion:
DEEF, in conjunction with UPEI, research the impact of Green Crabs on salmonoids.